Guide provides advice on communications with furloughed FM employees

05 May 2020

Magenta Associates, a communications specialist in the built environment, has published a guide to communicating with furloughed employees.

Most of us had never used the word furlough before Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s launch in March of the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Now it’s the word on everyone’s lips as thousands of employers across the country take advantage of the opportunity to place some of their people – including a large chunk of front-line facilities workers – on temporary leave with the government funding a proportion of their salary.

With the built environment sector massively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Magenta team has put together a short guide to communicating with furloughed teams. It offers top tips and practical advice on what you should – and shouldn’t – do as an employer while also ensuring your furloughed teams are kept engaged and motivated.

Most of these employees will return to their old jobs once the Coronavirus pandemic has passed, lockdowns are lifted and the economy starts recovering. So it’s essential that employers maintain a good relationship with their teams during this uncertain period.

Tips include:

Explain what furlough leave is and isn’t through a Do’s and Don’ts guide

Don’t use people’s work emails, but ask them for their personal emails to keep in touch

Keep people updated about what’s happening in the organisation so they feel connected

Set up informal check-in calls with individuals to catch up on how they’re feeling

Maintain a social bond between teams through social video calls, extracurricular clubs and virtual meet-ups. Request culture champions

Suggest other things furloughed employees can do from training and volunteering to a reading list, podcast list or even working elsewhere

Provide advice and support during lockdown as you would to working employees

Encourage self-care through a self-care guide

Understand that everyone is different and tailor your communication accordingly

Create a safe psychological environment so that everyone feels comfortable contributing to discussions.